Is Melanotan a Skin Tanning Drug Safe to Use?

Also known as Mel or MT is a synthetic melanocortin, a hormone derived from the pituitary gland. Since it helps to accelerate the production of melanin, the pigment that gives the skin its color, it’s increasingly growing in popularity. First developed in 1980 by University of Arizona researchers, this drug has the effect of darkening the skin.

Primarily, it’s used for the treatment of skin disorders including erythropoietin and vitiligo, the conditions that normally affect skin sensitivity and appearance. By boosting melanin, it can help ease the symptoms and enable the patients to live a normal life.

However, the drug’s potential use and tanning capability has also received a lot of public interest in the past and has even led to its use as a lifestyle drug. The logic behind this argument is that creating a tanned skin with minimal sun exposure could protect individuals from UV radiation and give them a healthier complexion. More of this drug, therefore, means more protection and even a lower risk of melanoma.

Proven results

According to one study, a 30 day twice daily use of this supplement may significantly boost the tanning effects in both men and women. The study also indicated that the drug may significantly improve the tone of the skin, appearance and even the time required to see a change. But since there is a lack of data available on similar formulas, the magnitude of these results a bit difficult to compare among the past study. More so, the data gleaned from the study demonstrates that there is a significant relationship between melanotan 2 and improved tan satisfaction.

Is the drug safe to use?

While the clinical trials of the effectiveness and the safety of the drug are still going on, the European Medicines Agency recently approved a blend of a peptide known as Scenesse to be marketed for use by only those who are suffering from specific skin conditions. However, there are no published trials among those who don’t have this disorder. This means, its safety for use and long term efficacy in the general population is still unknown.

In fact, in Australia, the drug is still unregulated. While the drug is allowed for prescriptions only, there is no registered product in Australia containing the supplement. There are rumors of some people prescribing the drug but most practitioners are against it.

This means they will not prescribe it for lifestyle or aesthetic purposes. Most users have now erred to underground online vendors where they source the drug. Considering the fact that Australians suffer from skin cancers than any other country around the worlds, the way that they respond to this drug is just intriguing.

Currently, there are chances that the drug may someday offer the best option for achieving healthy tan according to western standards. However, it has come with a lot of risks related to unsettling patient-practitioner relationships, needle safety use and the subversion of public health messages. Overall, melanotan has worked just well among most users.